The following email came in from a reader, Schuyler W. Hellings, who writes about this year's deer hunting season and what he saw in the woods in regard to the deer population.

Hellings wrote: "Hello Dave! I've been reading your articles over the hunting season and felt the need to respond in regard to deer populations.

I primarily hunt WMU 6K for the Northern Zone on a friend's property that is bordered by state land in Happy Valley and WMU 7M for Southern Zone on state land in the Lincklaen State Forest. While I didn't see a lot of deer in the Northern Zone which I attributed to the very warm weather (I'm assuming they were all bedded down), the Southern Zone season was the best in my 10 years of hunting down there.

"A lot of my bow hunting friends told me they saw very little during the season, but the rifle / shotgun was great! We saw multiple deer (sometimes as many as 10 different) on each drive with other hunters.

"I didn't have the opportunity to hunt off of a stand this year. Both of the deer I shot were on drives. Everyone in my hunting group shot at least one deer or shot and missed at some.

"I have a lot of great memories for the deer I watched, those I passed on and the two I shot. Driving between Fayetteville and Lincklaen over the last three months, I've seen plenty of deer.

"While it is disappointing to not shoot a deer during a season (it has happened to me two years in a row), some of the best days in the woods I've never even raised my gun.

"I've had a coyote run to within 10 feet of me before it realized it's error and spun away, I've seen a "white" red squirrel (everything was white except for it's tail and red circles around it's eyes) and have had a large owl silently swoop down and perch 10 feet above my head giving me quite a startle.

"I hope that hunters who have had a season without an opportunity to harvest a deer appreciate the wilderness around them while out in the field and if applicable, enjoy the camaraderie of fellow hunters at the camp."